The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-02
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
GATE CHASE SPRAGUE AND HER
STAGE STRUCK DAUGHTER.
Roscoe Conkling and His fufure-"nss
Zen Butler Makes at Law and SPENDS
I'm Polltic---goger A. Pryor and HIS
Career-Edgcrton and Oberiy.
-snecial Correspondence. /

letter is published She intends 10 return TO
the United States for good and she says she
feels like an exile while she is in France her
nroperty near here has become very valuable
from the great rise in suburban real estate 10
washington. IL is called Edgewood, and the
house commands a fine view Of the CapitoI
and fine Potomac II is an old fashioned
mansion. but is large and roomy, and II
would be Just the thing for the country seat
If n Statesman. understand that the prop
ertv will be offered for sale, hut It may be
that the steady rise Of suburban property WIZ
lead Mrs.. Sprague 10 hold on 70 IT, Mrs.
snrao1,e was wrapped up in her father, Chief
Justice Chase, and Edgewood was MS country
homo The sentiment connected Win II
would lead her 20 retain II, out " Is very
doubtful whether she can afford IL. ,.
Several year. ago she was not IN the Des1 OF
circumstances, and | found IN an antiquity
store ON Third avenue, New York. SILVER
nitcber and couple Of silver candeiabra
r.li.t tine dealer told mo belonged 70 Mrs.
srra.,,,e and had been LIT by her TO be sold.
She had. perhaps. during her great social
,.i,,,, as many beautiful things as any woman
i'm the Irnitcd states and at theauction when
took Mace al Canonrhet after she first lett ior
! rro.,ro sinole cabinet was sold which cost
t1,.stooo Thi. was formerly the property
of Marie Antoinette and among the other
,1.;,..,,' scid were n number Of Mrs Sprague's
personal effects. even 10 her pincushion hhn
e.,,b an auction taken place IN Washington
a.. orticles would have sold for their iull
valuo Washington has thronS OF steady
auc,ion ooors. and the sales Of the effects OF
Statesmen brinr such high prices that when
an auction is held cheap imitation stun IS
sorootipes suuggled in and sold for several
tiues its original price 20 the highest bidder
Ethel Sprapue. the daughter Of Mrs. Kate
Cba-e Sprngue, proposes 20 50 on the stage
she has studied for it, both IN France and IN
ENGLAND and Henry Irving has promised
her that he will give her all the assistance he
can She wants 20 be "A tragedienne, ana her
greatest ambition is to personate Lady Mac
beth Ethel Sprague IS now II years on
She is tall. dark and beautiful ono mas
prettv teeth, and her figure IS as evenly
rounded AS that of the Venus de Melos. one
il full of enthusiasm, and she says her mother
has consented 10 allow her TO become an
actress Mrs Kate Chase Sprague would
have made an accomplished actress herself,
and her life during her fathers campaign Tor
the nomination to the presidency was per
haps as trying that OF any woman VINO
has attempted TO portray the character Oh
another Her life has been one series Oh tras-
edies She was the queen Of Washington So
cietv while she remained in 1t, and no one us
puted her right 10 the position. She ruled
noarlv everv statesman with whom she came
in contact
Bv the way. / saw Senator Conkling III
New York this week. He IS bale and hearty
and he weighs twenty-five pounds more than
be did when he left the United States senate
His Golden locks have, however, turned 70 Sill
yer and the curl which'hangs over his fore
head i. AS white as the driven snow. /
cauoht only glimpse Of him, but 1t seemed
to me that he had lost some of the dudish ans
he affected at Washington, and he was,
though we'll dressed, more careletsiy a''iien
than have ever seen him. He wore a rough
blue sack coat and his head was crowned win
military SLOUGH lie coins, understand
from $4,000 TO 100000 yearly, but he
mouins. doubt not for the iieshpots OF POI
itics No statesman who has had the aduIa'
ton showered upon him which has fallen 70
the lot of Senator Conkling can be content
3 with tbe humdrum life OF lawyer. The
, almighty dollar is a god which fails TO sat
isfv guch men. and Conkling's friends hope
that some occasion viii thrust him again INTO
tine swim lie has only one chahce'
~ ex-Postmaster General Creswell says
of becoming "a political leader ms
cbouoo wonld arise should some great issue
r co,,e lefore the country, and Conklingi by
li. y,u.erful eloQuence, be noted as its
la,d.r This issue would have TO be a strik-
inc o,. and one which would swallow up
T ,,a,,...ns i'm PRINCIPLES. \ war with Great
\ britain or some other power might furnish
, such chance, and the people becoming IN
fot,oted with their side Of the struggle, again
/ make u hero of their leader, Lord Roscoe. 1t
C is wonderful how Conklings friends STICK 10
\ him and have been surprised IN travelling
, over the United States TO find how widely
scattered are his admirers. They say they
would support him for president If he were
nominated today, and they proclaim that
with all his abilities ne is the honestest states
man i'm the country. 1t is true he has failed
r once. but his friends claim that he did not
want TO return 20 the senate, and that he re-
c signed for good.
Sneakiug of money making, Ben Butler
makes probably as much as any other public
ual who lt, lcIl lniltlN0 l'A NAN 'N"f 80
makes 100000 year, it is said, and makes
it easily. His property here in Washington
j, has increased in value so that 1t was appraised
the other day at $4,000, or S2,c0Omore than
the amount al which he offered to sell 1t 10
. In. government two years ago. lie probably
: pnt ii low then on account Of being very hard
= uo as tie result of his presidential campaign.
: Butler is q very liberal man IN politics, and
y lac has spent several fortunes in keeping him
: self before the people. His gubernatorial
: campaigns cost him 100000 apiece, at least
one of his closest friends estimate them at
y this and he mortgaged the property which
= he offered to sell the government for $4,000
in order to get the ready money 70 carry on
, his last presidential campaign. Still Butler
does not worship money, and be does great
deal OF work for nothing. | know Of a mum
ler Of noor women whom he has helped by
i irving their cases for nothing. Butler has
: the most deceiving form OF any man in
}, public life. He weighs about 80 pounds,
II and has a look of grandmotherly ease about